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Saturday, December 28, 2013

The diamond mining ghost town of Kolmanskop, Namibia

In 1908, a large diamond field was found near the southeast coast of Namibia. The area was so rich in diamonds that they say that the first miners to the area were able to scoop them out of the sand!

A town grew around the mining area. Soon, the German government at the time built a hospital and the town thrived with a power station, a school, a ballroom and activity center and other amenities.

However, the diamond field was virtually exhausted within 10 years and after the First World War people began to move on. The entire town was abandoned by 1954.

And the sand took over.

The ghost town of Kolmanskop.

There's a N$65 ($7.00) per person entry fee. The area is owned and managed by Namdeb, a conglomeration between The Republic of Namibia and DeBeers Diamond Corp. There is still a lot of mining done in the area and Kolmanskop is a regulated part of the restricted mining area.

The moving sands of the desert take over the old buildings.

You're allowed into almost all of the buildings. Most are in original condition, left to decay on their own over time. Most are also totally unsafe and of course the signs say you enter at your own risk. Glad they let people be responsible for themselves! Using your own good judgement, it's possible to explore most areas, although some of the floor boards and stairs we didn't trust.
















24 comments:

  1. Neat little ghost town, great photos!

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    1. We had such a great time there! So many neat things to photos of.

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  2. Your photos reminded me of the abandoned gold mining towns of Central Otago in the South Island of New Zealand!

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    1. We will have to remember to visit there then, whenever we make it to New Zealand, thanks Paul.

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  3. Interesting how dilapidated structures can be so photogenic. Very intriguing photography!

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    1. If someone is a photographer or just loves taking pictures then they definitely have to visit this little ghost town. It was so fun and there are so many opportunities for amazing pictures.

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  4. Reasonable rates for overnight stays??? Maybe even a few loose diamonds to finance your future travels thrown in...

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    1. Yep, they even have skylights built right in.

      Don't think I would try picking up any stray diamonds though. They have signs up on the highway and when you enter the town not to remove any diamonds should you find any, I think you could be in serious trouble should they catch you.

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  5. A nice find and more great pictures, mother nature takes over.

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    1. She certainly does. Kevin said that he could never live there with all the sand and wind in that particular area.

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  6. Fantastic picture, especially like the interiors.

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    1. It surprised us how the colors in the rooms were still so vivid and in others how the paint was all peeling away, it really made for some interesting shots.

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  7. Odd how some had very little sand and others almost obliterated

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    1. I think that the buildings that were lower on the hill were the ones where the sand started taking over and the ones higher up seemed to fair a little better. Also if walls had holes or windows were broken then the sand found it's way in.

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  8. Awesome pics! Love the one of the washstand in the corner. I felt like I was there.
    Thank you for the experience.



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    1. Thanks John! This place was paradise for a photographer, the opportunities were endless.

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  9. Justin and I are watching a documentary about ghost towns and Kolmanskop, Namibia is one of the towns. Its weird seeing pictures you took and comparing them to the documentary... some of the pictures were so similar that we had to find your blog post to see if it was the same picture.
    :) neat!
    The documentary is called "Forgotten Planet"

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    1. That is so cool. I think we are going to have some extra room on our MiFi this month so maybe Dad can see if he can download the show. Thanks!

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